As you may know there have been a number of local senior pastors gathering together on a monthly basis for a number of years to pray for one another and for their churches. At the first of these gathering early in 2010 we were asked a number of “Can You Imagine” questions:
Can you imagine...
The Woodlands community being genuinely thankful for your church?
City leaders valuing your church’s friendship and participation in the community—even asking for it?
Neighborhoods around your church talking about “how good it is” to have churches in the area working together as tangible witnesses of God’s love?
A large number of your church members actively engaged in, and passionate about, community service, using their gifts and abilities in ways and at levels they never thought possible?
Our community actually changing because of the impact of our church’s involvement?
Many in our city, who were once cynical and hostile toward Christianity, actually praising God for your church and the positive contributions your members have made in Jesus’ name?
Those present agreed to pursue those questions further at a two day retreat in March, 2010 at Trinity Pines. There were 11 pastors present representing eight churches. We devoted ourselves to prayer and worship as we sought the face of God in directing our paths forward. Seeing God’s hand clearly upon this effort we reached out to other churches in our community and came together a second time in retreat in last September, 2014 with 31 pastors present representing 25 churches. Again, a rich time of prayer, worship and fellowship. Again, God affirmed our gathering together with a commitment by all to move forward in an effort to transform our community for the Kingdom of God.
With the spirit and intent of being on mission together as a united body of Christ we thought it would be important to establish an identity and succinct purpose statement “For the sake of Jesus Christ, we band together to love and serve our community.”
